The Sterile Elastic Exsanguination Tourniquet vs. the Pneumatic Tourniquet for Total Knee Arthroplasty

We compared the sterile elastic exsanguination tourniquet and the pneumatic tourniquet for total knee arthroplasty. 145 patients were operated on using a pneumatic tourniquet and 166 with the sterile elastic exsanguination tourniquet. Patients with the sterile elastic exsanguination tourniquet had a smaller decrease in hemoglobin on post-operative days one (P < 0.028) and three (P < 0.045). The amount of blood collected from drains at 24 h was significantly lower in the sterile elastic exsanguination group. A trend towards a higher rate of wound complications within 3 months following the operation was found in the pneumatic tourniquet group. The sterile elastic exsanguination tourniquet works at least as good as the pneumatic one.